Thousands of people gathered in Greensboro Sept. 16-18 for the
37th Annual Greek Festival at the Greek Orthodox Church
off of Friendly Ave.
Thousands of people gathered in Greensboro
Sept. 16-18 for the 37th Annual Greek Festival at the
Greek Orthodox Church off of Friendly Ave.
A person who has never been to a Greek
Festival before might be quite apprehensive about what to
expect.
It was surprising to see the diversity of
people who came to enjoy the 3-day event.
From crafts and games for kids to live
entertainment and delicious food, there was plenty for everyone to
do.
The Greek meals were very affordable.
 Popular menu items included gyros, chicken pitas, and
Greek fries. The gyro—which you can generally find in
the northern U.S. (i.e. New York)—was made out of seasoned beef,
lamb, and tomatoes in pita bread topped with a tasty tzatziki
sauce. Trying anything that has lamb in it might turn
one off, but it was actually quite enjoyable. It tasted almost like
a Mexican gordita.
The chicken pita was also tasty. The only
difference between the chicken pita and the gyro was the meat. The
Greek fries were ok but of course with ketchup they were a lot
better.
The festival did a good job of making
non-Greeks comfortable by having American food or food that was
easily recognizable such as hotdogs and Greek salads.
Those with a sweet tooth were appeased too.
There were several pastries to choose from for dessert, but the one
that appeared to be favored by all was the
Loukoumades. Loukoumades are Greek-style donut holes
deep-fried, dipped in syrup, and sprinkled with cinnamon.
 They taste similar to funnel cake.
Guests were entertained by people of different
age groups opa dancing in the center of the outside dining
area. The opa is a traditional Greek folk
dance. Guests cheered the dancers on as they joined
in by clapping and some even got up to join the popular Greek line
dance.
The Agora Greek Market was also open and had
Greek items such as arts and crafts, jewelry, cookbooks, etc.
available for purchase.
The Greek Festival was a great opportunity to
learn and experience another country’s culture and what they have
to offer.
- DaShawn Fleming & Cheri Farrior, Contributors